A Seven Step Framework for Encouraging Deeper Learning in Business Education

Abstract

This essay examines what is necessary for business school professors to encourage deeper learning in their students. Business faculty (and academia in general) are improving student involvement by using pedagogies of engagement (e.g., problem-based learning, team-based learning, POGIL) or integrating techniques that improve engagement (e.g., flipped classes, reflective writing). Adoption of these approaches is a step forward, but little has been written about the specific factors across techniques and pedagogies that can actually deepen learning. This essay utilizes a seven-point framework for deeper learning, applies it to the teaching of managerial decision-making, and makes recommendations for fostering deeper learning among business school students. The authors cite specific examples of business school teaching that illustrate traditional methods and deeper learning methods. The goal of this paper, therefore, is to present seven factors (Ambrose, et al., 2010) that work to deepen student learning—independent of any specific pedagogy or adopted technique. These solutions span across any business school discipline and can be easily integrated into a college class to foster deeper learning.